Airplane bomb hoist



p 1944- G. A. PETERSON Q 2,358,096

' AIRPLANE BOMB HOIST Filed Aug. 18, 1941 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 --FIG.VI" HSmaentor GERALD'A. PETERSON attorney p G. 'A. PETERSON AIRPLANE BOMBHOIST Filgd Aug. 18 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m QE N. om

V Snbentor GERALD A. PETERSQN .AIILI a: m My capacities.

It is a further object to advance the'sirnplicity and compactness of thehoist by a novel arrange- Patented Sept. 12, 1944 2,358,096 AIRPLANEnoMB'noIsT Gerald A. Peterson, Seattle, Wash., assignor-to Boeing:AircrafhGompany, 'Seat corporation of Washington tle, Wasln, a

Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,290

9 Claims. (01. 254-172) This invention relates to hoists, suchas arewhich may vary from perhaps one hundred pounds up to as much as severalthousand pounds.

it goes without saying that the handling of such loads is a delicateoperation, one fraught with same danger, and the more so in that thelighter compact, rugged, and light in weight;

7 appear asthis specification progresses, my'invention comprisesthenovel parts andthe novel comof the general nature indicated, which issimple,

With; these and other objects in mind, as'will bination and'arrang'ementthereof, as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in thisspecification, and as will be more particularly defined by the claimswhichterminate the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the invention incorporated ina typical hoist; and

. have shown how the same maybe installed and carrying the bombs willtend to rise and fall or to rock and pitch, with wave action, in amanner or with a periodicity difierent fromthat of the flying boatitself. As aresult a bomb which has been or which is about to. be pickedup by the hoist on the airplane may rise with the barge, and relative tothe airplane, faster than it is being hauled up, creating slack in thelinefand then when the barge drops away this slack'is' taken up, and ifthe arrangement is such that a sudden Jerk is produced, this may tearthe bomb loose from its hoist line, to the obvious danger of all personsin the vicinity and to the flying boat.

, Primarily it is an object of the present invention to provide a hoistfor such service as has been indicated, which has associated with it orincorporated within it automatic means which, upon slackening of thecable load, will take up the slack, but which upon increase of the cableload to nor-- mal, or even to a greater value, will permit a certainamount of yielding to'avoid shock, but will smoothly snub and quicklystop. any downward movement of the bomb load, and hold th bomb showingparts in different operative positions.

used, it being remembered that the drawings are illustrative only. V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an airplane and lighter, in the act ofloading a bomb' aboard the airplane. Fi ure 2 is an axial sectionthrough the hoist on the line 2+2 of Figure 3, but with certain partsshown in elevation. v V V Figure 3 is'a transverse section through thehoist, on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing parts in an intermediateposition, as in picking up the load; V

Figures 4 and 5 are views 'similar to Figure 3,

, Figure 6 is a vertical'sectional view taken along line li- -fiofFigure 2 showing a conventional representative drive gearingarrangement,

Referring to Figure l, the hoist, illustrated in general atH, issuitably mounted, aswithin the suspended, and then quickly andimmediately continue its upward movement, all without shock or jerk. Inthis manner the bomb will rise clear of the barge, before the latter canrise again.

More particularly it is an object of the invention 'to provide ahoist ofthis nature which operates by a combination of spring and hydraulicmeans, to the ends already outlined.

But a hoist which is arranged to handle 100 pound loads may not functionproperly with a 3600 pound load, and vice versa. Accordingly, it is afurther object to'providea hoist which is readily adjustable oradaptable to the handling of such widely varying loads, thus avoidingthe necessity of providing separate hoists of difierent wing W,conveniently to a doorway or hatch D, through which the bombs B are tobe loaded. A

vlighter-,or barge Lis arranged to support the lighter starts to risebefore a b'ombhas been lifted clear there will be at tendency for thecabl 0 to slacken, and for it to come taut with a jerk when the lighterdrops away again.

The hoist 'H is supported upon any suitable base, here shown as,consisting of spaced standards and 9|, connected by a casing 9 whichRotatably'supported houses an electric motor. 4 I from this base is aninner' sleeve 1, which" is driven from the motor 9 through gearing contained within the gearcase 92, and which it is not necessarytoillustrate in-detail. The sleeve quickly adapted to the intended load.

I, then, may be considered the driving element of the hoist, for it isconnected to the driving mtor 9.

The drum 2, for compactness and convenience, is arranged concentricallyabout and spaced outwardly from the inner sleeve I, and is arranged forrotation with and with relation to the sleeve.

Side walls .20 and 2| may be formed integrally with either .the sleeveor the drum, though as shown they are connected to thedrum. They fittightly about the sleeve, and'there is thus formed between the sleeveand the drum an annular space, which is filled with a suitabl fiuid aslight oil.

This annular space is divided by an abutment ,other, or as shown, inboth the abutment 25 and the vane I5. 'A passageway and a correspondingsnubbing check valve is illustrated at 28, in the abutment 25, arrangedto block flow from the chamber 3 to the chamber 4, but to permit slowand restricted flow from the chamber 4 to the chamber 3. Similar butoppositely directed check valves l2, conveniently positioned in the vaneI5, are arranged to block flow from the. chamber 4 to the chamber 3, butto permit substantially unimpeded flow, at least relatively to the flowin the opposite sense past the snubbing valve 28, from the chamber 3 tothe chamber 4. The snubbing valve 28is' of well-known type which opensto permit free flow in one sense, ,but closes auto matically to restrictflow and damp movement in the opposite sense.

An adjustable regulating valve 29, accessible from the exterior of thedrum 2, restricts more or less the .flow through the port in abutment 25past the-snubbing valve 28 when such valve is open. The relatively freeflow permissible when handling a 100 poundload would be inadequate tosnub a 3600 pound load; conversely, the now adjustment suited to the3600 pound load would too quickly and sharply snub the lighter load.

By adjustment of the valve 29 the hoist can be To transmit drivingtorque from the sleeve l to the drum'2 I provide a yieldable or springmeans,

such'as the. coil spring 5, anchored at 5| to the sleeve I, and at 52 tothedrum 2. This spring will normally be'pretensioned, and when the hoistis'at rest, and there is no tension on the cable C, the spring will drawthe abutment 25 into close proximity to the then stationary vane I5..Stop lugs 25 on the walls 20 and 2I limit this movement, of theabutment. This position of rest is not illustrated in the drawings. IFigure 3 shows an intermediate position, which may be. assumed to be theposition of partswhen picking up the load.,Counterclockwise rotation ofthe sleeve I by the motor 9 has commenced, and the vane l5, departingfrom the stops 26 on the drum 2 (now held stationary by the appliedload), has rotated counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 3. The cable C,wound about the drum 2,

is increasingly tensioned, and thespring' 5 is more tightly wound ortensioned by the rotation assaooe rotation is snubbed somewhat by thefluid, which is restricted in its passage past thefsnubbing valve 28from the chamber 4 into the chamber 3. This avoids shock from too abruptapplication of lift,

. plate 25, projecting radially inward from the and causes the load tobepicked up smoothly. Eventually the spring 5 is tensioned in an amountequivalent to the applied static loadof the'b omb,- whereupon (assumingno external instantaneous r plays no part in supporting the actualstatic load;

it has theretofore functioned (through valves 28 and 29) to prevent tooabrupt application of lift to the load, and will continue to function inthis manner andalso'to snub the load if it is abruptly decreased, aswill shortly appear.

If the applied load (static or instantaneous) becomes extremely largethe vane I5 may reach the opposite side of the abutment 25, as seen in30 of parts shown in Figure 3 or from that shown in Figure 4. In such acase, as shown in Figure 5, slackening of the tension upon the, cable Cwill permit the accumulated force of the spring 5 to effect overrunningof the drum with relation to the sleeve, and in this case the abutment25,

flow from the chamber} into the chamber 4. However, as soon as thetendency to slacken the moving counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 5,quickly increases the size of the chamber 4 and decreases the size ofthe chamber 3. The check valves I2 open freely to' permit substantiallyfree load on the cable is overcome, by dropping away of the lighter frombeneath the'bomb which it supported, there is a tendency for relativeclockwise movementof the drum with relation to the sleeve, thoughthesleeve 2 still continues to rotate in an absolute counterclockwisesense, and the actual sense of rotation of the drum may likewise becounterclockwise. However, this tendency to reverse rotation of the drumwith relation tothe sleeve immediately closes the check valves I2, andtends to open the valve 28. It also tends to increase the tension in thespring 5. The restriction afforded by'the snubbing valve '28, inaccordance with the adjustment of the regulating valve 29, tends to snubthe load and to pick it up smoothly, and eventually'to transfer thestatic load and torque wholly to the spring, until parts resume theirnormal hoisting positions, and hoistingproceeds as before.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hoist comprising a'driveninner sleeve, a spaced, concentric, andrelatively rotatable outer drum, and side walls cooperating therewith todefine an annular fluid-filled space, spring means secured to each ofthe sleeve and the drum to transmit torque from either to the other, andactive'to effect or permit relative rotary. movementof the sleeve anddrum upon change of load conditions, an abutment upon the drum and avane upon the inner sleeve, within and dividing the annular space intotwo chambers of complementally variable size valved ports in theabutment and vane, respectively, affording relatively free communicationbetween the chambers for spring-urged winding-in of the drum, reactingfrom the inner sleeve,'upon a decrease of the cable load on the drumfrom normal, and afiording relatively restricted communication betweenthe chambers to damphydraulically adynamic increase in cable loads. t p1 2. A hoist comprising 'an'inner sleeve, a spaced, concentric, andrelatively rotatable outer drum,

and side walls cooperating therewith to define an such spaces todamprelative rotation of said sleeve and drum.

6. A hoist comprising a central :drive' motor; an'intermediate sleeve,and an outer hoist drum, n

all disposed concentrically and in coplanar registry, means connectingone, end of said sleeve to said drive motor for driving the sleevetherefrom, a coll torsion spring connecting the other controlled flow ofliquid therethrough between end of said sleeve to said drum for rotatingsaid drum by'rrotationof said sleeve, said sleeve and said drum definingan annular'chamber therea between, liquid filling such chamber,partition w annular fluid-filled space, drive'm'eans operatively{connected to the sleeve, spring meansintercon- 'Lnecting the sleeve anddrum for driving, and operable to effect winding-in of the drum uponlessening of the cable load upon the drum,'and to winding-in of the drumupon decrease of the cable load, and an aperture formed in the abutment,and a damping valve therein affording restricted relative rotation inthe opposite sense.

3. A hoist comprising a driving member and a drum, spring means reactingbetween the two to wind in the drum from the driving member, hydraulicmeans also operatively connecting the driving member and the drum, saidhydraulic means including, a casing defining an annular fluid-filledspace, an abutment and a vane dividing the space into two chambers ofmutually variable size, of the abutment and vane one being connected tomove in accordance with movement of the driving member and the other inaccordance with movement of the drum, valved ports in the vane andabutment affording passages for fluid from onechamber to the other,arranged and automatically operable to restrict such flow and to snubrelative movement when the vane and abutment move relatively in a senseto increase the spring force, but to permit substantially unimpeded flowwhen, under the influence of the accumulated spring force and a lessenedcable load, the vane and abutment tend to move relatively in theopposite sense, and means accessible from the exterior of the drum toadjust the flow in the snubbing sense, and thereby to vary the snubbingeifect in accordance with the intended load. 4. A hoist as in claim 2,including a regulating valve cooperating with the abutment aperture tovary the effective size thereof, said regulating valve being accessiblefromv the exterior of the drum.

5. A hoist comprising a central drive-motor, an

' intermediate sleev,.a nd an outer hoist drum all disposedconcentrically and in coplanar'registry, means connecting one end ofsaid sleeve to said drive motor for driving the sleeve therefrom, a coiltorsion spring connecting the other end of said sleeve to said drum forrotating said drum by rotation of said sleeve, said sleeve and said drumdefining an annular chamber therebetween, liquid filling such chamber,partition means dividing such chamber into mutually variable arcuatespaces, including a plate projecting inward from a means dividing suchchamber inmmutuany var-g iable arcuate spaces, including a plateprojecting inward from said drum to said sleeve through such liquidfilledfchamber and a plate projecting outward from said sleeve tosaid'drum through the liquid filled chamber, and damping means"including damping ports extending through said partition means forcontrolled flow of liquid therethrough between such spaces, and valve Imeans closable by relative rotation of said sleeve and drum stressingsaid coil spring to increase the restriction of such damping ports, fordamping substantially such relative rotation of the sleeve'and drum, andopenable by relativerotation of said sleeve and drum relaxing saidspring to decrease the restriction of such damping ports. 7

7. A hoist comprising a sleeve, amotor operable to rotate said sleeve, ahoist drum concentrically encircling said sleeve, a torsion springinterconnecting said sleeve and said drum and sufiiciently stiff totransmit the entire load hoisting torque of said'motor from said sleevetofsaid drum while strained'less than 360, said sleeve and said drumdefining an annular chamber therebetween, liquid filling such chamber,parti tion means dividing such chamber into two mutually variablearcuate spaces,including a single plate only projecting inward from saiddrum to said sleeve through such liquid filled chamber, and a singleplate only projecting outward from said sleeve to said drum through suchliquid filled chamber, and damping means including damping portsextending through said partition means for controlled flow of liquidtherethrough between such spaces, to damp relative rotation of thesleeve and drum.

8. A hoist comprising a sleeve, a motor operable to rotate said sleeve,a hoist drum concentrically encircling said sleeve, a torsion springinterconnectingsaid sleeve and said .drum and sufiiciently stifi totransmit the entire load hoisting torque of said motor from said sleeveto said drum while strained less than 360, said sleeve 7 and said drumdefining an annular chamber therebetween, liquid filling such chamber,partition means dividing such chamber into'two mutually variable arcuatespaces, including a single plate only projecting inward from said drumto said sleeve through such liquid filled chamber, and a single plateonly projecting outward from said sleeve to said drum through suchliquid filled chamber, and damping means including damping portsextending through said partition means for controlled-flow of liquidtherethro'ugh between such spaces, and valve means movable towardclosedposition by relative rotation of said sleev and drum stressing saidspring to increase the restriction of such damping ports, for. dampingsubstantially such relative rotation of the sleeve and drum, and movabletoward open position by relative rotation of said sleeve and drumrelaxing said spring to decrease the restriction of such damping ports.

9. A hoist comprising a central drive motor, an intermediate sleeve, andan outer hoist drum 1 all'disposed concentricallyand in coplanarregistry, means connecting onejend 015 said sleeve to said drive motorfor driving the sleeve there from, a, coil torsion spring connecting theother end of said sleeve to saiddrum' and sufliciently stifl to transmitthe entire load hoisting torque of said motor from said sleeve to saiddrum .while strained less than 360, said sleeve and said drum definingan annular chamber therebetween, liquidfilling such chamber, partitionmeans dividing such chamber into two mutually variable 7 arcuate'spaces, including a single plate only pro- Jecting inward from said drumto said sleeve relative rotation of said sleeve ing said spring todecrease the restriction of such through such liquid filled chamber, anda single plate only rojecting outward from said sleeve to said drumthrough such liquid filled chamber,

and t damping t e ns including damping ports extending thro dpartitionmeans for conthrough between such ovable, toward closed e-rotation'oisaid sleeve and aidcoil' spring to increasethe restrictionbf suchdamping ports, for damping substantially such relative rotation of thesleeve and drum, and movable toward open position by and drumrelaxdamping ports.

7 GERALD A, PETERSON.

